the – Book Dust Magic

Book Review: The Good Girlfriend’s Guide to Getting Even by Anna Bell

Title: The Good Girlfriend’s Guide to Getting Even

Author: Anna Bell

Publisher: Bonnier Zaffre

Date: January 26th, 2017

Pages: 432

Format: eARC

Source: from Publisher for review

Synopsis (from Goodreads): ‘Perfect for fans of Sophie Kinsella’. Another hilarious and heart-warming romantic comedy from bestselling author Anna Bell

When Lexi’s sport-mad boyfriend Will skips her friend’s wedding to watch football – after pretending to have food poisoning – it might just be the final whistle for their relationship.

But fed up of just getting mad, Lexi decides to even the score. And, when a couple of lost tickets and an ‘accidentally’ broken television lead to them spending extra time together, she’s delighted to realise that revenge might be the best thing that’s happened to their relationship.

And if her clever acts of sabotage prove to be a popular subject for her blog, what harm can that do? It’s not as if he’ll ever find out . . .

Review:

Anna Bell is an author who has been on my tbr list for a very, very long time.
Ever since I found out about her book The Bucket List to Mend a Broken Heart and heard so many amazing things about her work, I wanted to give her a chance.
After putting it off for the longest time, I was lucky enough and got a chance to read her newest novel, The Good Girlfriend’s Guide to Getting Even.

I am so glad I read this funny novel with the longest title ever, because I fell in love with Bell’s writing style, and with the positive atmosphere she created, that was present through the whole story.

This book follows the story of Lexi, a 29 old woman who’s boyfriend (Will) is obsessed with sports.
Dating him and watching all the games is not always easy for Lexi, but she found her way to deal with that (like reading books on her e-reader when her boyfriend watches a game she is not interested in), but when Will fakes stomach flu so he wouldn’t go to Lexi’s best friend’s wedding, and goes to the game instead, Lexi decides it is time for her to get even.

First of all, let me just say that egocentric in me enjoyed reading this book and my approach to this story is 100% subjective.
You see, I could relate to Lexi so much, because her Will reminded me of my boyfriend. I mean it, they are so alike, it’s like the author based Will’s character on him.
Even their whole relationship situation was almost the same as ours, and when I was talking to my man about this book, he was sure I was making it up, just to entertain him.
“No”, I said “but Anna Bell wrote the story I should have written (because sometimes I like to think I was destined to write a good book one day), because it’s like reading my life on those pages. I KNOW what she’s talking about, to the core!”

The writing style was really, really good!
The story itself was great, but the way the author told us the story is even better. It reminded me of Sophie Kinsella’s style in a way.

I laughed so many times while reading, was entertained the whole time.

I was also curious (and because of subjective reason a bit worried how the story’s going to conclude) because, even though to some readers this story was predictable, I really had no idea in which direction it was going.

The things I think could have been better in this story are:
– I wish we got more romantic/cute scenes with Will and Lexi.
– I wish there was stronger character development. We said goodbye to the same Lexi and Will we met at the very beginning of the story.
– I don’t think Will’s reason to miss the wedding was strong enough.

I am so glad I read The Good Girlfriend’s Guide to Getting Even, and I am looking forward to read more of Bell’s work.

If you’re a chick lit lover, this book is the one you don’t want to miss.

Book Review: The Boy Is Back by Meg Cabot

the boy is back

Title: The Boy Is Back

Series: Boy (#4)

Author: Meg Cabot

Publisher: William Morrow

Date: October 18th, 2016

Pages: 400

Format: eARC

Source: from Publisher for a review

Synopsis (from Goodreads): From New York Times bestselling author Meg Cabot comes the sweetly humorous story of a man who has to face his past in order to find his future.

Sometimes to move forward, you have to go back…

One post. That’s all it took to destroy the care free, glamorous life of pro golfer Reed Stewart. One tiny post on the Internet.

Then again, it’s not like Reed’s been winning many tournaments lately, and his uncle isn’t the only one who says it’s because of the unfinished business he left behind back home in Bloomville, Indiana—namely Reed’s father, the Honorable Judge Richard P. Stewart, and the only girl Reed ever loved, Becky Flowers.

But Reed hasn’t spoken to either his father or Becky in over a decade.

Until that post on the Internet. Suddenly, Reed’s family has become a national laughingstock, his publicist won’t stop calling, his siblings are begging for help, and Reed realizes he has no other choice: He’s got to go home to face his past . . . the Judge and the girl he left behind.

Becky’s worked hard to build her successful senior relocation business, but she’s worked even harder to forget Reed Stewart ever existed—which hasn’t been easy, considering he’s their hometown’s golden boy, and all anyone ever talks about. It was fine while they were thousands of miles apart, but now he’s back in Bloomville. She has absolutely no intention of seeing him—until his family hires her to help save his parents.

Now Reed and Becky can’t avoid one another…or the memories of that one fateful night.

Can the quirky residents of Bloomville bring these two young people back together, or will Reed and Becky continue to allow their pasts to deny them the future they deserve?

This warm, thought-provoking book, told entirely in texts, emails, and journal entries, is as much about the enduring bond of families as it is about second chances at love, and will delight as much as it entertains.

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Review:

When I found out Meg Cabot was coming out with another book in her Boy series, I was so excited!
I was fan of hers for years. In fact, her Princess Diaries were first books that made me care for characters so much I wanted to know them. I was crazy about Mia Thermopolis and she was my role model in a way.

When I got a bit older, I read her Boy series and really, really loved it.
I loved the concept of books, how Cabot told us the story by only writing emails.
It was a new thing for me and I welcomed it with both hands open.

So, when I first heard about The Boy Is Back the first thing that came to my mind was “OmG, I can’t wait to read it!!!”and the second thing was “I wonder how the story’s going to be told today when emails are so ancient and we live in era of social media?”.

There are still emails included as tool that brings the story to life, but the main part of story is told as screen shots from characters’ phones.
There are chat rooms, messages and even products reviews.

I really liked the “look” of the book and how it was adjusted to today life.

Unfortunatelly, this was the only thing I liked about this book (oh wait, I’m lying! I also like the cover).

Drama, drama, drama – that was what this book is all about.

And characters that are so nosy!
They were just plain annoying and every single one of them made me nervous.
I can’t always connect with characters, I get that. But there’s a huge difference between the situation when you don’t or can’t understand someone, and the situation when you actually can’t stand characters.
And the second is what happened with this book.

I couldn’t like anyone from main characters.
I didn’t like family drama, I didn’t like how family members pushed Becky and Reed to be together, I thought how the main problem that caused all the drama and Reed’s comeback to little town was uninteresting and plain stupid.
I just couldn’t like the story no matter how hard I wanted to.

I wanted to DNF it so badly. I can’t even remember when was the last time I just wanted to stop reading. For sake of having good memories about book series that’s dear to me, for sake of not being able to say that one of my favorite authors wrote a book I didn’t like at all.
But, I had an obligation to review the book, and it was only fair from me to finish the book and write honestly about my reading experience.

When browsing through other reviews, I realized I am in huge minority when it comes to disliking this novel.
Please keep in mind that many book reviewers enjoyed reading The Boy Is Back and if you liked Cabot’s other books, maybe giving it a try wouldn’t be the bad idea.
However, telling you that I recommend this book would be a lie.
The only suggestion I can give you is to borrow it from the library. That way, you won’t be crying over 20$ spent on book if you end up not enjoying it, and in case you end up loving it, you can always purchase it later.

Picture Book Review: Marty and the Christmas Eve Surprise by Sharon Durgin

marty

Title: Marty and the Christmas Eve Surprise

Author: Sharon Durgin

Illustrator: Joan Coleman

Publisher: Lanier Press

Date: July 1st, 2016

Format: eARC

Source: from Publisher for a review

Synopsis (from Goodreads): Marty is a little mouse who has lots of fun with his friends as they
get ready for Christmas. But when the house cats get involved, you can expect a little bit of mischief. Can Marty save the day in time for Christmas?

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Book Review:

This is a really short picture book, so I’ll keep my review short as well.

What first grabbed my interest when it comes to this book is the art work on the cover.
That little mouse with a christmas hat and schal was just too cute to pass.

And let me tell you, the art work through the whole book is just plain beautiful.

This is a story about little mouse and his friends who are preparing a performance for Santa Claus.

The story itself is solid and I think many children will enjoy it.

I would recommend this book for parents with toddlers, to read it to them in an anticipation of Christmas.
I also think it is a great choice for kids who are just learning to read and for kids who are learning English as a foreign language.

My rating:

Story:

Art Work:

Book Review: Love Notes for Freddie by Eva Rice

Title: Love Notes for Freddie

Author: Eva Rice

Publisher: Quercus Books

Date: July 28th, 2016

Pages: 325

Format: eARC

Source: from Publisher for a review

Synopsis (from Goodreads): Marnie FitzPatrick is a reclusive sixth-former from Hertfordshire with a dysfunctional family, a penchant for Pythagoras’ Theorem and an addiction to doughnuts and gin. Julie Crewe is a disillusioned maths teacher who lives vicariously through the girls she teaches, yet who once danced barefoot through Central Park with a man called Jo she has never been able to forget.

This is the story of what happened in the summer of 1967, when the sun burned down on the roof of the Shredded Wheat factory, and a boy called Freddie Friday danced to the records he had stolen. This is about first love, and last love, and all the strange stuff in between. This is what happens when three people are bound together by something that can’t be calculated or explained by any equation.

This is what happened when they saw the open door.

Review:

Years ago, I came across a book called The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets.
I still remember how much I loved the writing style and the way Eva Rice described the setting, making me feel like I was there, with two girls she created in that cold but wonderful house where one of them lived. I remember how they liked music, Elvis Presley and fashion, and how one of them made herself a green coat from an old blanket.
The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets in one of my all-time-favorite books today and I truly believe that that book will stay with me forever.

When I found out Eva Rice had a new book I was so excited. I had no idea what to expect from the story, but I had a feeling I would like it.
I mean, how could I not? It was created from the same mind that brang one of the best stories I had a pleasure to read in my life.

Love Notes to Freddie takes place during summer 1967. It follows Marnie FitzPatrick – a teenager who got expelled from her private school, Julie Crewe – Marnie’s (ex) Mathematics teacher and Freddie Friday – a boy who loves to dance and dreams of being a professional dancer.

Yet again, Rice’s writing style was amazing. There are no other words that can describe it better.
I wasn’t sure whether her style will have the similar impact on me as the one in her first book had, because I read that one in croatian translation, but I didn’t have to worry.
Even though this time around I read one of her books in a different language, the writing style was recognizable.
And in all honesty, even though I liked the story in a whole, the writing style is absolutely the best part of this novel.
Some people might not find it as their cup of tea and some might say that it’s a bit slow, but it is the style that suits me the best.

Marnie, Julie and Freddie were loveable characters. They were and they weren’t unique at the same time, but the way Eva Rice presented them made me fall in love with them even though I couldn’t even say why did I care about those people so much. I couldn’t help but root for Freddie to make his dream come true, I felt heartbroken over Marnie and wanted to be there for her when she was lost, and I had to feel sad for Julie and her broken dreams.

This is the story of love in different shapes. It talks about love of a girl for a boy, because she is interested in him. It talks about love a woman can have for a boy because, in him, she sees a dreamer she once was. It talkes about love for dance, about the passion someone has and a dream that keeps that person going.
It talks about parent’s love. It talks about friend’s love, brother’s love. It shows us how many forms love can have.
Even if forbidden, a love can still be strong.

Maybe that is the reason why this novel is so beautiful. You can feel the love coming from it’s pages, and you can’t help but love it.

It also covers some serious topics, showing us how much big of a consequence one secret can have and how far guiltiness of a person can go.

The story is written in first person, following Marnie’s and Julie’s POV.
This is an adult novel, but I think younger audience would enjoy it just as much.
After all, it follows a perspective of a teenager and a perspective of a woman who most of the time is reminiscing about the days when she was young.
If you’re a reader of ya genre and would like to try adult general fiction, this book is a great choice to start with.

Love Notes for Freddie is also a good choice if you’re looking for diversity in books.

Movie Monday: We’re the Millers

Movie Monday is a weekly feature here on my blog, in which I’m rambling about movies I’ve watched lately.

This week I watched a fantastic comedy and enjoyed every minute of it!

We’re the Millers

were-the-millers I watched We’re the Millers when it first came out three years ago and really, REALLY loved it. My father, who does not watch comedies often also loved it. Actually, he loved it so much he watched it twice in the same week.
This week, this fantastic movie that made me laugh out tears was on our national TV and, of course, I decided to re-watch it.

I loved it just as much as I loved it the first time. The story is so entertaining, with all the phrases I couldn’t help but laugh to.
The cast is also great. If you ask me, all the actors did an excellent job.

My favorite was Will Poulter who plays Kenny Rossmore (or “the fake son”). This movie was actually the first I saw him in and I immediately knew I want to watch movies he’ll act in in the future and see how his career will develop.

The most hilerious scene was the one with spider bite, no question asked!

I watched the movie in the company of my boyfriend who watched it for the first time. He also really enjoyed it and said it was the best comedy he saw in a very long time.

If you still haven’t watched it. I highly, HIGHLY recommend you to do it.
It will make you serotonin level higher for sure!

Note: Picture in this post is not my property but taken from IMDb site and is property of Warner Bros. Pictures.

Novella Review: Christmas at the Comfort Food Cafe by Debbie Johnson

christmas-at-the-comfort

Title: Christmas at the Comfort Food Cafe

Series: Comfort Food Cafe #2

Author: Debbie Johnson

Publisher: HarperImpulse

Date: September 23rd, 2016

Pages: 187

Format: eARC

Source: from Publisher for a review

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

‘My new favourite author’ – Holly Martin

‘A lovely, emotion-filled, giggle-inducing story’ – Sunday Times bestselling author Milly Johnson

The brand new Christmas romance from best-selling author Debbie Johnson and the follow up to ‘Summer at the Comfort Food Cafe’.

The Comfort Food Cafe is perched on a windswept clifftop at what feels like the edge of the world, serving up the most delicious cream teas; beautifully baked breads, and carefully crafted cupcakes. For tourists and locals alike, the ramshackle cafe overlooking the beach is a beacon of laughter, companionship, and security – a place like no other; a place that offers friendship as a daily special, and where a hearty welcome is always on the menu.

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Review:

This summer I read Debbie Johnson’s Summer at the Comfort Food Cafe and, even though I had a hard time connecting with the main character Lauren, I ended up liking it.
When I heard about festive novella Christmas at the Comfort Food Cafe, I knew I wanted to read it because:

a) I liked Johnson’s full time novel, the setting and characters she created so I was glad I had a chance to revisit that imaginary cafe full of positive vibes;
b) Festive stories are my favorite reads so, of course, the curiosity won me over;
c) The novella follows a different narrator. This time we have a chance to read about Laura’s sister Becca, who we didn’t get a chance to meet properly in the book one;
d) The cover is just plain gorgeous and I am weak when it comes to beautiful covers, especially christmassy ones.

Revisiting Dorset and „exploring“ it during winter was a pure pleasure. It was so nice to see how Laura‘s life is going after the Summer is over and how her relationship, but also the lives of all the side characters I already knew improved.

This novella has 187 pages, so it is on a longer side. Honestly, it felt like a novel to me.
Nevertheless, I think it is just about perfect leight because it reads like a complete standalone story that left me satisfied. I wouldn’t want it to be longer or shorter.

Becca was a narrator I found to be easy to connect with. Because of that, I enjoyed Christmas at the Comfort Food Cafe so much more then it’s predecessor.

This is a standalone novella and you can it read even if you haven’t read Summer at the Comort Food Caffe. The writer explained everything that happened before and the story is easy to follow.
However, you should be warned that going into this novella you will be spoiled for the book one, so if you plan to read both stories, I suggest you to read them in order they were published.

The writing style is simple and easy to read.
The story is written in first person from Becca’s POV.
Christmas at the Comfort Food Cafe consists of three parts: Christmas Past, Christmas Present and Christmas Future.
The first part is written in third person.

Some parts of the story were little rushed (ex. the wedding), some were a bit predictable (ex. a big thing that happend to Becca closer to the end), but overall it was a good festive read that I would suggest if you’re in the mood for something quick that will put you into Christmas Spirit.

3,75

Book Review: The One That Got Away by Melissa Pimentel

the one that got away

Title: The One That Got Away

Author: Melissa Pimentel

Publisher: Penguin, Michael Joseph

Date: September 22nd, 2016

Pages: 352

Format: physical ARC

Source: from Publisher for a review

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Ruby and Ethan were perfect for each other. Until the day they suddenly weren’t.

Ten years later, Ruby’s single, having spent the last decade focusing on her demanding career and hectic life in Manhattan. There’s barely time for a trip to England for her little sister’s wedding. And there’s certainly not time to think about seeing Ethan there for the first time in years.

But as the family frantically prepare for the big day, Ruby can’t help but wonder if she made the right choice all those years ago? Because there’s nothing like a wedding for stirring up the past . . .

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Review:

When I first heard about The One That Got Away few months ago I was very excited.
The premise sounded like something right up my alley and the gorgeous cover made it even more appealing.
Saying that I was happy when I got a chance to read an early copy of this novel would probably be an understatement. I was beyond thrilled.

As you can probably imagine, when it comes to my expectations for this book, they were pretty high.
But guess what?
I finished this book satisfied with what I read.

The One That Got Away follows the story of Ruby, a woman in her early thirties who has to attend her sister’s wedding where she’ll meet Ethan, her ex boyfriend and the only man she ever loved, who she broke up with ten years ago.
Will the feeling she once felt come back to light or is it really over with her and Ethan?

I had so much fun reading this book.
The writing style was pretty good and easy to read, with fine sense of humor and pop culture references it made the reading experience rather pleasurable.

The story is told in, to me, somewhat unusual way. It follows two different times simply reffered as Now and Then.
Now is written in first person, from Ruby’s point of view.
Then is written in third person and it tells the story of Ruby and Ethan’s relationship.

My favorite part when it comes to The One That Got Away are characters Melissa Pimentel created.
They were believable, gray as I like to say, with their good and bed sides that made them realistic.
While I was reading about their lives I couldn’t help but feel like I knew them already.
I welcomed that feeling because it, in some strange way, reminded me of home.
My favorite was definitely Ruby’s father who would probaby go on some reader’s nerves, but from my perspective he was captured like the most realistic one. I think Pimentel dosed the right amount of his greedines, his atypicall sense of humor, the way he cared about people close to him and brang one certenly interesting and lifelike character to life.
I’d also like to mention that I liked Ruby’s and Piper’s relationship with their stepmother.

The story takes place in Edinburgh.
I was never there, but the way the author described that place, with all the castles and nature, made me go and google images of that city.

This book did not just put me into happy place, but, at times, it also wretched my heart.

According to publisher, The One That Got Away is a „A smart, funny and modern retelling of Jane Austen’s Persuasion.“
In my opinion, they got it right. It was smart, and it was funny.
I can’t say how close to original Persuasion it is because I have never read it.
But I can tell you that bacause I haven’t read it, I wasn’t sure how the story’s going to end, and it made me nervous. The closer to the end I got, the more and more I was afraid of absence of Happily Ever After I so wanted to happen’.
In the end, I was satisfied with the way the story ended.

Overall, this was pretty enjoyable read that I would recommend to women’s fiction fans.
I’m not sure how long the story will stay with readers after they finish it, but I am pretty sure that they will have a pretty good time while reading this novel.

Going the Distance: Book Blitz + Giveaway (INTL)

Going the Distance
Mila Rossi
(No Excuses, #1)
Publication date: September 9th 2016
Genres: Adult, Romance, Sports

Once you slap the hell out of the light heavyweight champion of the world on the night of his first loss, how do you convince him to give you an interview? That’s the dilemma Samantha Wellington finds herself in after turning down the most desirable yet foul-mouthed athlete she’s come across. Unfortunately for her, her job depends on getting his interview and this boxer’s not talking.

When Trent “The Punisher” Page is humiliated by the spunky reporter, then cornered for an interview, he does what he does best: he plays dirty. He didn’t earn his nickname for being nice, after all. If the little minx wants to know more about him, she’ll have to pay with the one thing she’s not willing to give – herself.

Her elements of surprise meet their match in his determination to succeed. With vastly different motivations, can they break down the enemy without jeopardizing themselves?

Goodreads / Amazon / Kobo

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EXCERPT:

As she stopped to unlock the car, he came up behind her, standing so close he could smell her shampoo.

“Dinner was good and all, but what else you got in store for me, babe?” he whispered in her ear.

She turned slowly, teasing him with those lips that were inches away from his. “You mean this wasn’t enough?”

He chuckled. “Not nearly.”

Her eyes twinkled up at him. “I figured as much, which is why part two is coming in a week.”

“Part two?”

She nodded, giving him a mysterious smile.

“I don’t think I like the sound of that. If you’ll throw chicken-fried steak at me next week, that’s not gonna get you any closer to the interview.”

She threw back her head and laughed. It was one of the most satisfying sounds he’d heard in a long time.

“I’m not arranging for another meal, Punisher. But my end of the bargain comes in several parts, so you’ll just have to be patient.”

He brushed a strand of hair away from her face and grazed her cheek with his thumb. “I hate being patient.”

“What a surprise,” she said, staring up at him.

He lowered his thumb and ran it over her bottom lip, relishing the fact that he’d been right about how soft it would feel. Jesus, he was getting a fucking hard-on from running a finger over her lips.

“Will part two be worth my time, then?”

Her lips parted, and for a second, he thought she’d lick his finger, but instead she pulled her head away and nodded. “Every second of it.”

He inhaled deeply and let his disappointment flow out of him with a loud sigh. “I hope so. This is dragging on for far too long.”

She walked around the car and opened her door. “All good things come to those who wait, Page.”

“Those good things better include crotchless panties and high heels,” he grunted, getting in.

She laughed again, dashing his hopes.

GTD 4

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Author Bio:

Mila Rossi is a contemporary romance author who writes feel-good stories – no angst here. She creates heroines who don’t back down, stand up for themselves and insist on freedom and independence until the right man comes along, then all rules are thrown out the window. The heroes must be clever, generous, and able to throw a girl over their shoulder.

Mila has seen the world and loves to write about it. She also loves to paint vintage anime characters, belly dance, try new foods, and perfect her archery skills. She wishes she could partake in extreme sports, but only allows her characters to tempt fate. Her own chances of causing disasters are just too high.

Mila also writes historical romance under the name Alice Lake.

When not typing away furiously, she goofs around with her husband and daughter.

Website / Goodreads / Pinterest

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Giveaway (INTL):

$25 Amazon gift card + ebook copy of Going the Distance
ends September 15th

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Book Review: The Lost Cats and Lonely Hearts Club

Title: The Lost Cats and Lonely Hearts Club

Author: Nic Tatano

Publisher: HarperImpulse

Date: August 26th, 2016

Pages: 250

Format: eARC

Source: from Publisher for a review

Synopsis (from Goodreads): Swapping Prada for purrs…

While covering a story, feisty network reporter Madison Shaw gets more than she bargained for when she rescues a box of orphaned kittens. Suddenly the glamazon of the Manhattan news room is doing two am feedings to keep these furbabies alive!

This is certainly a change of pace for the high maintenance workaholic she’s become and taking care of the kittens makes Madison realise how far off track she’s come—after all, she was a stray once too…

When a video of her caring for the kittens goes viral, she knows her image as a hardnosed reporter is shot to hell. What Madison doesn’t expect is the media circus that propels her and the kittens to stardom. And the domino effect that has on her, her career and her love life—especially when she meets sexy Officer Nick Marino…!

Review:

Imagine finding four little orphan kittens, too small to take care of themselves and without a mother to feed and bath them. What would you do?

If you’re a person with a good heart, you would take them under your roof and do your best to give them what they need to survive.
And that is exactly what Madison did.

Disclaimer:

I will have to start this review with a disclaimer and say that I will be totally subjective when it comes to expressing my thoughts. This story is very special to me and I observed it from a different angle then usual because I experienced (almost) the same thing as the main character of this story, but was also in a situation that in parts reminds of the one character Nick was in.

I really don’t want to make this review about me, but I think it would be fair to tell you that, because my personal experience is what led me to percieve the story in the way I did.
So I will just briefly mention that I have two cats that were only 13 days old when they lost their mother and I bottle fed them and took care of them. They are healthy now and are best cats in the world.
Also, five years ago I had a car accident and I was unable to move for weeks. Those days all I could do was lie in bed and sit with someone’s help, so I know how the recovery process looks like.

Now, on to the real review…

Lost Cats and Lonely Hearts Club tells the story about a reporter called Madison. She is a real career woman. One day when reporting from construction aera, she and her cameraman find four kittens and a dead cat. In order to save kittens’ life, she takes them home and starts taking care of them.

Although she did not plan to, she keeps them and becomes their second mother because she got atteched to them, especially to the tortoiseshell one.
For Madison, cats are not just company. They (or should I say tortiseshell one) help her see what kind of person people around her are so she ends up breaking up with her cold hearted boyfriend the same night cats move in.
As the story progress, we follow Madison and her three friends living a life in New York, dating and helping the world make a better place.

This book warmed my heart. When I say it, I really mean it.
There were so many memories that came back to me thanks to this novel.
And although it wasn’t the best read ever, I certenly enjoyed reading it.

The writing style was really good, easy to read and you can read this novel pretty quickly.
It is written in first person, from Madison’s point of view.
What surprised me is the fact that the writer is male.
I don’t usually pay attention whether I read male or female authors, but it really blew my mind how Nic Tatano perfectly described women’s way of thinking.

Character development plays a big part in this story.
Madison really changes through the story and even if that change is mentioned more then few times by side characters, readers can also see it in Madison’s behaviour.
However, I have to mention that I wasn’t on best terms with some of her actions.

The story itself was naive in parts in a way that everything went so easy for Madison, but I will assume that the purpose of this book is to bright reader’s mood.

It also had some flaws and unexplained things that I just feel like they have to be metioned.
I will write them down in the spoiler section so I wouldn’t ruin anyone’s reading experience without their permission.

Overall, this book was pretty good and it really left me in a good mood.
I think that cat lovers would enjoy it so if you are one of them, I suggest you to give it a try.

Spoiler Alert!!!

We never got an explanation why mother cat died. I know some things we’ll never know, but somehow I wish we got to know what happened to her.
Tortoishell cats are basically always female. Male tortoishell do exist, but they are so rare, finding one is like finding a niddle in haystackes, and male can’t produce due to their chromosomes. I wish vet said that to Madison bc I have a feeling many readers will just assume that the writer didn’t do his homework because „all tortoishells are female“.
Nick had an accident where he lost the ability to walk and had to use wheelchairs. I feel like his situation was described unbelievably too easy. Madison could have just leave him alone for hours and it was like there was no fact that he is human and therefore has to use toilet, has to take a bath. Madison once told him he can just roll into the shower but guess what? He has to take off his clothes, wash himself and use a towel. Without help, that is impossible.
I feel like the whole thing could have easily be fixed if there was a nurse to help Nick.
Although it maybe is not a big deal, I wish getting rid of parasites was also mentioned.
I wish tabby, rushian blue and tuxedo cat were more present in the story. They were in the tortoishell’s shadow.

Book Review: The Summer That Melted Everything by Tiffany McDaniel

Title: The Summer That Melted Everything

Author: Tiffany McDaniel

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Date: July 26th, 2016

Pages: 320

Format: eARC

Source: from Author for a review

Synopsis (from Goodreads): Fielding Bliss has never forgotten the summer of 1984: the year a heat wave scorched Breathed, Ohio. The year he became friends with the devil.

Sal seems to appear out of nowhere – a bruised and tattered thirteen-year-old boy claiming to be the devil himself answering an invitation. Fielding Bliss, the son of a local prosecutor, brings him home where he’s welcomed into the Bliss family, assuming he’s a runaway from a nearby farm town.

When word spreads that the devil has come to Breathed, not everyone is happy to welcome this self-proclaimed fallen angel. Murmurs follow him and tensions rise, along with the temperatures as an unbearable heat wave rolls into town right along with him.

As strange accidents start to occur, riled by the feverish heat, some in the town start to believe that Sal is exactly who he claims to be.

While the Bliss family wrestles with their own personal demons, a fanatic drives the town to the brink of a catastrophe that will change this sleepy Ohio backwater forever.

Review:

Here is the truth: this book is perfect.
When you look at every single element of this story, every single character, phrase and all of the parts of the plot, you get one perfect whole, compliteness that leaves you breathtaken in an absolutely literal way.

I am sorry if I already used the word perfection too many times at the very beginning of my review, but the truth is, I am lost for other words. This book, to me, was pure perfection.

It played with my emphaty in a way I can’t describe, it broke my heart, torn me apart and I am still picking myself up, days after I finished it.
I am lost for words and I already know that my review won’t do a justice to this masterpiece, but I will try my best.

The Summer That Melted Everything talks about summer in a year 1984, the year when the HIV virus was discovered and scientists gave it a name.
It takes place in Breathed, a small town in the West America, where people are still afraid of unknown and are very judgamental.

Even though this book contains more then few diverse elements (like gay people, black people and people with dwarfism), the way characters talk about people and things that are diverse or different is plain brutal.
For example, people say that AIDS is God’s punishment for gays, God’s tool to get rid of them.
Those kind of references you’d hear even from characters you’d like.
Keep in mind that it is 1984 and even though that kind of phrases were hard to read about, they also represent the reality of the story.

The novel is written in first person, following two different times: first being placed in 1984 when Fielding was a 13 years old boy and the second that takes place when Fielding is and old angry man, and we can see how much tool summer 1984 took on him, how happenings from that summer shaped him as a person and destroyed him in a way.

The writting style is astonshing. McDaniel’s voice is so beautiful. It is different from other voices I read and it probably has a lot to do with the fact that The Summer That Melted Everything is a piece of literary fiction.

This book reminded me how much I enjoy reading literary fiction, even though I don’t read it too often.

My opinion is that this book demands to be read more then once. I know I will reread it for sure in my close future.

This is not a happy book, it will probably leave you under an impression and you won’t be able to stop thinking about it.
I already knew this was a five stars read for me after I finished it, but I also learned to appreciate it even more after some time passed.
I would give it all the stars in the world.

This is the best book I have read this year and it is one of the best books I read in my lifetime.

Tiffany McDaniel surprised me with her debut novel and after reading only one book written by her, I already know I want to read everythig she’ll write in the future.

Recommending books is something I often do in my reviews, but if there’s one book I would recommend of all the books I liked, it would be this one.

I really, wholeheartedly recommend you to read this book!